Wayland Campbell was born on the 28th Of October, 1921 in Rosedale, OK in Okfuskee county.
His father was Alph Campbell, farmer, his mother was Rabie a homemaker. Wayland had one sister, Velva and one brother, Billy. Wayland was a member of the FFA (Future Farmers of America) as was his sister, Velva. Wayland won several awards for his prized hogs and farming ability.
He worked for the NYA Boys Resident Project in Okmulgee, OK
Wayland enlisted in the Navy on the 3rd of September 1942 in Oklahoma City, OK By the 8th of November 1942 he was aboard the USS Henderson sailing out of San Francisco to Pearl Harbor. By the 16th of November he and many others had been retained on board the USS Henderson for duty which would ultimately place them on the USS Indianapolis on the 26th of November 1942.
On the 27th of May 1945 Wayland was spending an 18 day furlough with his family in Oklahoma per the newspaper The Daily Oklahoman.
Wayland Dee Campbell, shipfitter 3rd Class lost his life on the USS Indianapolis on the 30th of July, 1945 when she was hit by 2 torpedoes from a Japanese submarine and sank within minutes. Wayland is memorialized at Fort William McKinley at Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
He was awarded the Purple Heart, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Combat Action Medal, WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Good Conduct Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.
Shipfitter 3rd Class Wayland Dee Campbell, thank you for your service.
